NetZeroCities ECT2: Enabling City Transformation 2

NetZeroCities ECT2 is a Horizon Europe cascading grant (SGA3-NZC) to help designated Mission Cities remove systemic implementation barriers and scale durable, policy‑anchored interventions that advance citywide climate neutrality. The call has a total budget of €8,000,000 and offers fixed subgrant envelopes of €500,000 (at least one Mission City + partner), €1,000,000 (at least two Mission Cities) and €1,500,000 (at least three Mission Cities) for 22‑month projects running from 1 April 2027 to 31 January 2029. Only local authorities or city administrations designated as Mission Cities may lead proposals, submissions must be made through the online grant management platform by 03 December 2026 at 12:00 CET, and applicants must follow the call guidelines and attach required templates including a mayoral letter of support.

What it funds

Scope summary

22-month cascade grant programme supporting Mission Cities to remove systemic implementation barriers preventing city-wide climate neutrality. Funds interventions that pilot, scale or embed innovations; strengthen research-to-policy uptake; build city capacity; and develop collaborative governance and citizen engagement.

Who can apply:Only local authorities or city administrations formally designated as EU Mission for climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 (Mission Cities). Multi-city Mission consortia are allowed; other organisations may join as partners but the proposal must be led by a Mission City ¹.

1. 1Place-based heating and cooling
2. 2Nature-based solutions at city scale
3. 3Urban energy systems
4. 4City finance innovation for climate neutrality
5. 5Large-scale building retrofits and renovations
6. 6Decarbonising urban mobility and logistics

Funding and award sizes

Total programme funding €8 000 000 to be allocated as cascading subgrants reimbursed on actual costs. Award envelopes depend on number of Mission Cities in the proposal.

Key dates and duration

Call opens 31 August 2026. Deadline 03 December 2026, 12:00 CET. Decisions Feb 2027. Project period 1 April 2027 to 31 January 2029 (22 months).

Applicants must follow the impact framework and submit required templates and a mayoral letter of support. Full guidance, templates and submission are available on the portal Call page ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Call Guidelines, Financial Guidelines, challenge briefs, templates and submission instructions are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal call page linked above.

Call identifier HORIZON-MISS (SGA3-NZC). Specific Grant Agreement n°3 to the FPA to reinforce the operations of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission Platform (Grant agreement number 101261829). Total funding available for this cascade grant call: €8,000,000. Call launch: 31 August 2026. Deadline for submission: 03 December 2026, 12:00 CET. Expected programme duration for selected projects: 22 months from 01 April 2027 to 31 January 2029. Contact for general information: ect@netzerocities.eu.

Objective, scope and challenge areas

Purpose:ECT2 funds interventions led by designated Mission Cities (the 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030) to overcome systemic, city-level implementation barriers that currently prevent Climate City Contract ambitions from translating into replicable, scalable and durable emissions reductions and city transformation. The call shifts from broad domain-based support to a model that organises action around clearly defined systemic barriers and bottlenecks.

Challenge areas (applicants must choose one):Applicants must select the single challenge area that best anchors their rationale and design an impact pathway within that area. The six challenge areas are: Place-based heating and cooling; Nature Based Solutions at city scale; Urban energy systems; City finance innovation for climate neutrality; Large-scale building retrofits and renovations; Decarbonising urban mobility and logistics.

Eligible activities — what the grant will fund

Eligible interventions should combine one or more of the following activity types. Proposals may cover several types and must explicitly describe how submitted activities link to these categories when applying.

1. 1Pioneering Activities: adapt, test or deploy innovative or enabling solutions at city level.
2. 2Systemic, Science-based Innovative Initiatives: strengthen the connection between research, evidence and city delivery to translate research into policy and operations.
3. 3Capacity and capability-building activities: establish new knowledge, skills and institutional competence within city administrations and key local actors.
4. 4Collaborative governance and community-building activities: build more collaborative, inclusive and systemic governance arrangements and citizen engagement models to support just transition outcomes.

Who can apply and consortium rules

Eligible lead applicants:Only local authorities or city administrations designated as Mission Cities under the EU Mission for climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 (designated Mission Cities) may apply and receive funding under this Call. Non-Mission cities, districts or municipalities may not be lead applicants or count as Mission Cities in proposals.

Consortium composition:A single Mission City may apply alone with at least one additional consortium partner (see funding envelope rules). Groups of Mission Cities (national or trans-national) may apply together in a consortium; one Mission City must be designated as consortium leader for administrative purposes. Other organisations may join as consortium partners (research institutions, universities, SMEs, NGOs, associations, citizen groups, higher-level administrations with a formal governance link to the Mission City). Higher-level administrations (metropolis, region, national departments) are eligible as partners provided there is a formal governance link; they do not count as Mission Cities for budget envelope calculations unless they are themselves a designated Mission City.

Consortium requirement:Consortium required where specified by chosen envelope: the call allows single-Mission-City-led proposals with partners or multi-Mission-City consortia. The submission model is single-stage. The call expects proposals to be submitted by a Mission City either alone with partners or in a multi-city consortium; one Mission City must be the administrative leader.

Funding model, envelopes and financial rules

Form of grant and payment:Financial support is provided as cascading sub-grants to third parties (i.e., the Mission City receiving the grant disburses subgrants or implements activities with partners) and is reimbursed against actual eligible costs reported in interim and final financial reporting. Applicants must follow the Call Financial Guidelines which define eligibility of costs and legal/financial rules.

Total call budget:€8,000,000 allocated across the above subgrant envelopes. Applicants must use the provided Budget Template to draft budgets and follow the Call Financial Guidelines for cost eligibility rules.

Timeline and key dates

1. 1Call launch: 31 August 2026, 12:00 CET.
2. 2Submission deadline: 03 December 2026, 12:00 CET (single-stage).
3. 3Decision communication to applicants: 05 February 2027.
4. 4Publication of call outcomes and cities selected: 19 February 2027.
5. 5Programme start date for selected interventions: 01 April 2027.
6. 6Programme end date: 31 January 2029.

Application process and required documents

Submission method:online via the designated grant management platform (Climate-KIC / Amp Impact grant management links provided in the call pages). Proposals submitted outside the official submission system will not be accepted. Register as Proposal Lead / Collaborator where required. System guidance, FAQ and password-reset instructions are available on the portal. Technical support channels are available if applicants encounter system issues.

Mandatory supporting documents and templates:Applicants must include: Call Application Template (Word) for narrative drafting; Budget Template (Excel); Work Plan Template (Excel) matching the submission system’s architecture (work packages, deliverables, activities); Risk Register Template (Excel); Impact Framework template and Indicators Template (including the Indicators set); Letter(s) of Support: mandatory letter of support from the city mayor or equivalent for each Mission City included in the proposal. All templates are published on the call webpage. See Call Guidelines for full instructions Call Guidelines. ¹

Evaluation and selection

The selection process has three stages:Stage 1 Eligibility check (pass/fail); Stage 2 Evaluation and scoring by at least two independent external experts using assessment criteria grouped under Mandate to Act, Capacity to Act, and Impact; Stage 3 Portfolio selection and final funding decision where a selection committee assembles a balanced portfolio of interventions that complement previous cohorts and focus on resolving key implementation barriers. Detailed assessment criteria and portfolio selection rules are in section 9 of the Call Guidelines.

Evaluation stages count:Number of application stages to obtain funding: 3 (Eligibility check, Expert evaluation/scoring, Portfolio selection & funding decision).

Eligibility, beneficiary scope and geographic restrictions

Beneficiary scope:Eligible lead applicants must be designated Mission Cities under the EU Mission for climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030. Consortium partners may be from other organisations, including research organisations, universities, SMEs, NGOs, associations, citizen groups or higher-level administrations with formal governance links to the Mission City. This is an EU Mission call targeting designated Mission Cities within the EU Mission network (EU geographic scope). Consult the Call Guidelines for confirmation of any additional geographic eligibility details or requirements for partners from non-EU countries.

Applicant types and target sectors

Eligible applicant types (explicit or implied):local authorities / city administrations (designated Mission Cities) as lead applicants. Consortium partners may include research institutes, universities, SMEs, NGOs, associations, citizen groups, higher-level administrations, and other stakeholders active in urban climate delivery.

Target sectors and thematic focus:urban climate transformation; place-based heating and cooling; nature-based solutions at city scale; urban energy systems; urban finance innovation for climate neutrality; large-scale building retrofits and renovations; decarbonising urban mobility and logistics. Cross-cutting levers include policy, green technology, finance, governance, behavioural change, social innovation, procurement, business models and circular economy approaches.

Project stage, expected outputs and impact

Expected maturity and project stage:The call targets interventions that move cities from experimentation and pilot activity to implementation and city-wide transformation. Typical stages supported: demonstration, validation, scale-up and policy/operational integration. Proposals must include an impact pathway aligned with the Impact Framework and specify monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) approaches and selected indicators.

Funding amount per proposal and co-funding

Available subgrant amounts are fixed per the selected envelope:€500,000; €1,000,000; €1,500,000 depending on number of Mission Cities in the proposal. Total programme budget: €8,000,000 across all selected interventions. The form of grant is cascading and reimburses eligible actual costs. Call Financial Guidelines specify whether applicants must provide co-funding and the acceptable cost items. Applicants should consult the Call Financial Guidelines for cost eligibility and co-funding rules; the call documentation is explicit on budget and reporting obligations.

Co-funding requirement:The scraped materials indicate reimbursement against actual costs and require adherence to financial rules in the Call Financial Guidelines. The call text provided does not explicitly state a mandatory co-funding percentage; applicants must consult the Call Financial Guidelines to determine whether co-funding is required for their proposed activities and how to document it.

Application templates and structure

Templates provided by the call (available on the call webpage) to support offline drafting and ensure correct submission: Call Application Template (Word) containing the narrative questions and check-boxes for correct submission; Budget Template (Excel); Work Plan Template (Excel) reflecting system architecture (Work Packages, Deliverables, Activities); Risk Register Template (Excel); Impact Framework template and Indicators Template (Excel); ECT2 Challenge area briefs (including proposed impact pathways). Applicants must copy the offline-prepared responses into the online submission system and attach the required templates where indicated.

1. 1Structure of application narrative (Call Application Template): sections typically include administrative details, project summary, chosen challenge area and justification, impact pathway using provided Impact Framework template, objectives and expected outcomes, detailed work plan (work packages/deliverables/activities), consortium and governance description, risk management using Risk Register template, budget summary using Budget Template, monitoring and evaluation plan using Indicators Template, and annexes including Letter(s) of Support from mayors or equivalent.
2. 2Budget and financial annexes: Budget Template must present cost categories and justification consistent with Call Financial Guidelines; interim and final reporting obligations will require reporting of actual eligible costs for reimbursement.
3. 3Impact Framework and indicators: Applicants must formulate a context-specific impact pathway and select indicators from the Indicators set to populate the Impact Framework template which will be attached to the application.

Evaluation criteria highlights

Assessment categories used by external experts:Mandate to Act (evidence of mayoral/administrative mandate, political commitment and governance linkages), Capacity to Act (consortium competence, institutional capacity and delivery readiness), and Impact (robustness of the impact pathway, scalability, evidence generation and anticipated emissions and systemic outcomes). Full criteria and scoring rules are in section 9.3 of the Call Guidelines.

Success rates and selection considerations

The scraped call documentation does not publish explicit success rates. Selection will be portfolio-driven: the selection committee will assemble a balanced set of interventions to address cross-cutting implementation barriers, complement prior cohorts, and maximise potential for replication and EU-wide uptake. Success likelihood therefore depends on alignment with strategic portfolio needs in addition to meeting eligibility and competitive scoring thresholds.

How to get support and information

Information sessions scheduled (registration links published on the call page):15 September 2026 — Ambition and Approach for ECT2; 29 September 2026 — Eligibility, Assessment Criteria and how to submit; 09 October 2026 — Impact Framework and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). For technical submission issues consult the submission system guidance and support channels. For call content queries contact ect@netzerocities.eu.

Mentioned countries and geographic scope

No individual countries are explicitly listed in the scraped text. The call is limited to designated Mission Cities under the EU Mission for climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, implying an EU geographic focus (cities that are part of the Mission network). For exact eligibility of specific cities and potential partner nationalities, consult the Call Guidelines and the Mission Cities list on the Mission web pages.

Summary — what this opportunity is about and who should apply

NetZeroCities ECT2 is a cascading grant call administered under Specific Grant Agreement 3 to reinforce the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission platform. It is intended to finance 22-month intervention programmes led by Mission Cities to resolve systemic implementation barriers preventing city-wide progress toward climate neutrality. The call focuses on six challenge areas and funds pioneering deployments, systemic science-driven initiatives, capacity building, and collaborative governance actions. Only designated Mission Cities may lead applications; consortia must include the appropriate number of Mission Cities to access specific funding envelopes (€500,000, €1,000,000 or €1,500,000). Selection is competitive and portfolio-driven with a three-stage evaluation process. Applicants must submit online by 03 December 2026 and attach required templates and a mayoral Letter of Support. This opportunity suits city administrations with a clear mandate to implement Climate City Contract commitments, strong delivery capacity, and proposals that are evidence‑based, replicable and scalable across other Mission Cities.

For full procedural, legal and financial details, and to access all templates and the complete assessment criteria, consult the Call Guidelines and supporting documents on the official call webpage Call Guidelines and documents. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Call Guidelines, Financial Guidelines, Challenge Area briefs, templates and links to registration and info-session pages are published on the NetZeroCities ECT2 call webpage: ec.europa.eu

NetZeroCities ECT2 is a Horizon Europe cascade funding call for Mission Cities in the EU Mission for 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030, designed to help cities move from experimentation to citywide implementation by addressing systemic barriers to climate neutrality.[1][3][5]

Opportunity at a glance

What the call funds

The call supports interventions that remove systemic implementation barriers and create durable, policy-anchored delivery structures that can generate sustained emissions reductions and be replicated across European cities.[1][3][5]

• Applicants must choose one challenge area and build a context-specific impact pathway around it, using the programme impact framework.[1][3][5]
• The six challenge areas are place-based heating and cooling, nature based solutions at city scale, urban energy systems, city finance innovation for climate neutrality, large-scale building retrofits and renovations, and decarbonising urban mobility and logistics.[1][3][5]
• Eligible activity types include pioneering activities, systemic science-based innovative initiatives, capacity and capability building, and collaborative governance and community-building activities.[1][3][5]

Who can apply

Only local authorities or city administrations selected as Mission Cities under the EU Mission for climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 are eligible to apply and receive funding.[1][3][5]

• A consortium may include a group of Mission Cities, including cross-national partnerships, but one Mission City must act as consortium leader.[1][3][5]
• Higher-level public bodies such as metropolises, regions, or national departments may join as consortium partners only where there is a formal governance link to the Mission City, and they do not count toward the Mission City count unless they are themselves Mission Cities.[1][3][5]
• Other partners may include research institutions, universities, SMEs, NGOs, associations, citizen groups, and other relevant stakeholders, provided the consortium is led by a Mission City.[1][3][5]
• Non-Mission city, district, or municipal authorities are not eligible as applicant cities under this call.[1][3][5]

Funding structure and budget rules

• €500,000 is available for proposals with at least one Mission City and at least one additional consortium partner.[1][3][5]
• €1,000,000 is available for proposals with at least two distinct Mission Cities.[1][3][5]
• €1,500,000 is available for proposals with at least three distinct Mission Cities.[1][3][5]
• The published materials specify reimbursement against actual costs incurred, but they do not provide a separate percentage funding rate in the accessible summary.[1][3][5]

Evaluation and selection

• Stage 1 is an eligibility check with pass or fail criteria.
• Stage 2 is expert evaluation by at least two independent external experts using the categories Mandate to Act, Capacity to Act, and Impact.
• Stage 3 is portfolio selection and funding decision, designed to create a balanced portfolio of interventions that complements prior Enabling and Pilot Cities cohorts.

Key dates and applicant support

• Call launch: 31 August 2026.[1][3][5]
• Deadline for submission: 03 December 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time.[1][3][5]
• Decision communication: 05 February 2027.[1][3][5]
• Publication of selected cities: 19 February 2027.[1][3][5]
• Programme start and end: 1 April 2027 to 31 January 2029.[1][3][5]
• Info sessions are scheduled for 15 September 2026, 29 September 2026, and 9 October 2026.[1][3][5]

Applicants must submit proposals through the online grant management platform, and submissions outside the system will not be accepted.[1][3][5] The call page also lists supporting templates and documents such as the call guidelines, financial guidelines, budget template, work plan template, risk register template, impact framework template, indicators set, and a mandatory letter of support from the mayor or equivalent official for each city in a multi-city proposal.[1][3][5] See the official call page¹.

Applicant takeaways

• This opportunity is best suited to Mission Cities that already have a defined climate neutrality challenge and can demonstrate an actionable route from diagnosis to implementation.[1][3][5]
• Strong proposals should show how the intervention will remove a specific systemic barrier, mobilise the right local governance and delivery partners, and create evidence that can be reused by other cities.[1][3][5]
• Multi-city collaborations can access larger envelopes, but they must also demonstrate a coherent shared challenge area and a credible joint impact pathway.[1][3][5]

For further information, the call contact listed on the programme page is ect@netzerocities.eu.[1][3][5]

Footnotes

1. 1Official call page: NetZeroCities ECT2 on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.